From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Northern pressure group, Democratic Watch Initiative (DWI), has called on President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to resist the temptation of supporting preferred candidates for leadership positions in the Senate and House of Representatives.
This is as it encourage all contestants to all positions, from whatever region, religion or zone never to relent in their quests and insist on level playing field for elections as the only acceptable option.
The group disclosed this in a communique following a one-day colloquium in Kaduna with the theme, “Inclusive participation for sustainable democracy” under the Chairmanship of former Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The communique signed by the Chairman, Drafting Committee, Muhammad N. Bello and Convener, Nasiru Dambatta insisted that Abdul-Azeez Yari and all other contestants to the Senate presidency be given fair constitutional rights to franchise alongside others from the Southern part of the country.
“We, however, caution that capacity, character and competence should take priority above every other consideration during the voting process and call the candidates that lose to concede honourably and cooperate with those that win in order to make progress.
“The colloquium finally resolved to call the attention of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu to be vigilant as to the political opportunists that surround him with the intent of forming another cabal who are behind this scheme aiming to pitch him against his traditional political friends and sections of the country.
“We implore the President-elect to reclaim the people’s confidence in his untainted democratic credentials and commitment to entrenching sustainable democracy, restoring the glory of governance, reclaiming the sanctity of constitutionalism and respect for rule of law by coming out openly to renounce any purported anointed and preferred candidates.
“The meeting understood that a leadership of the National Assembly, independently and willingly produced by the members themselves, for themselves, would douse all the deliberately created regional tension and foster strong understanding and cooperation among the distinguished and honourable members.
“The meeting recognized that the North, at the expense of candidates from the region, provided the bulk of the votes that combined with votes from other sections of the country, secured victory for the APC and a southern candidate. It acknowledged the justification in the agitation from the North for appropriate reward for its commitment and steadfastness.
“We therefore resolved to encourage all contestants, to all positions, from whatever region, religion or zone, never to relent on their contests and insist on level grounds for elections as the only reasonable and acceptable option.
“We insist in this regard, that Abdul-Azeez Yari and all other contestants to the Senate Presidency be given their fair constitutional right to franchise alongside others from the Southern part of the country.
“Abbas Tajudeen, Betara, all candidates for the House of Representatives Speakership from the North, should also be encouraged to subject their aspirations to voting. It noted that while there is no better system of government than democracy, there is also no better way to produce leaders than democratic process of free and fair elections.
“It observed that the current attempt to impose leaders on people of undoubtful maturity, and proven experience elected to represent their various constituencies in the incoming 10th National Assembly, amounts to a brutal encroachment on the sanctity of the legislature, blatant subversion of popular will and a distant deviation from the democratic principle of separation of powers between executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
“The meeting wondered why the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, itself a product of democratic election and which subjected its presidential ticket contest to elections, should now be the same party attempting to manipulate the system to one of selection and imposition.
“The colloquium therefore condemned the stubborn insistence on the resort to old tactics of imposing leaders on institutions as important as the National Assembly by the National Working Committee of the APC under its Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu. It resolved to categorically impress the necessity for inclusive participation, respect for statutory autonomy of such organs of government as the legislature as the only basis for sustainable democracy.”